


in this light i swear i'm blind (i swear you're mine)

by noodlerdoodler



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anxiety Disorder, Autistic Vanya Hargreeves, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Depression, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Good Sibling Klaus Hargreeves, Good Sibling Number Five | The Boy, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Inspired by Fanfiction, Jewish David "Dave" Katz, Lesbian Vanya Hargreeves, M/M, Meet-Cute, Minor Diego Hargreeves/Lila Pitts, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves Deserves Better, Vanya Hargreeves Gets a Hug, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27121562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noodlerdoodler/pseuds/noodlerdoodler
Summary: When Vanya tells her sister that she's bringing a plus-one to the wedding, she doesn't think much of it. But then, her (admittedly less-than-perfect) boyfriend breaks up with her and she is stuck with a difficult decision: admit another one of her relationships has failed or find someone to bring along for the weekend?Sissy Cooper makes the perfect pretend-girlfriend: she's kind to everyone, sweet as apple pie, and completely devoted to her eight year old son. Soon enough, Vanya finds herself falling for her...
Relationships: Klaus Hargreeves/David "Dave" Katz, Raymond Chestnut/Allison Hargreeves, Sissy Cooper/Vanya Hargreeves
Comments: 19
Kudos: 170





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [siriuspiggyback](https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriuspiggyback/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Such A Dubious Soul](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18612094) by [siriuspiggyback](https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriuspiggyback/pseuds/siriuspiggyback). 



> This is a sequel/spin-off to Such a Dubious Soul. You don't need to read that to understand this but it IS an excellent fic to read anyway. All you need to know is that there are no powers in this universe. 
> 
> Another thing to note is that Vanya is a lesbian (not bisexual) in this fic but struggles with compulsory heterosexuality. Just like in the show.

“I don’t know what to do,” Vanya sighed and stared down at the message on her phone screen.

She’d gotten a text from Allison the night before, regarding her sister’s upcoming wedding. Of course, it wasn’t the first message that Vanya had received from her about the wedding- there was a rolling group chat where the family were plagued with regular updates. Flowers, seating plans, and bridesmaid dresses had been flooding Vanya’s (and everyone else's) phone for weeks. In fact, Vanya was almost jealous that Five wasn't allowed to use his cellphone at boarding school and therefore had mostly dodged the onslaught of messages. But this text had been different: this one was Allison begging to know who her plus-one for the wedding was.

Since Allison lived in Los Angeles, on the other side of the country, she was pretty out of the loop about who was dating who. She had missed out on most of her siblings' lives, since moving away to pursue her acting career: Klaus going back to school for his GED, Five getting his appendix out, and Luther's newfound interest in plants had all passed her by. Obviously, Allison had no idea that her sister no longer had a plus-one to bring to her wedding. Vanya had been too embarrassed to tell her that her most recent boyfriend, Leonard had dumped her. She'd crawled into bed for a week instead. 

“Tell her the truth?” Dave suggested.

Once she had gotten the text message, Vanya had immediately turned to Klaus for help. He might not be the most functional of her siblings but he had the longest-standing and most successful relationship relationship. Plus, she was the brother she felt most comfortable being around. Diego was emotionally constipated, Luther and her weren’t close at all, and Five was away at boarding school. Klaus and her had grown closer after their father had passed away, making up for the lost years of their childhood, and Vanya now tentatively considered them good friends. 

So, she had gone to Klaus for help and he had invited her to join him (and his boyfriend) for brunch this morning. Now, they were sitting around a wooden table in a pleasant coffee shop, where Klaus worked most days of the week- it was the longest he’d ever held down a job, or a boyfriend for that matter. Klaus had waived his staff discount to get them coffees, sandwiches, and a basket of mini muffins. It was admittedly quite cosy.

“That’s ridiculous!” Klaus declared, “It’s not a Hargreeves family function if someone’s not lying through their teeth. I speak from experience.”

He had gotten together with Dave about three years ago, when he’d met him by chance on the bus and the man had agreed to pretend to be his boyfriend. It had been just after their father died- he stipulated in his will that Klaus would only receive his inheritance if he had “gotten his act together”. So, they’d constructed an elaborate charade: Dave had told everyone that they had been together for months, were deeply in love, and living happily together at a permanent address. It had worked. Not only had Klaus gotten his full share of the inheritance, he'd also ended up keeping his fake boyfriend for good. 

Only Vanya knew the full story behind it, (though Five was suspicious). She’d found out a few months ago, when things were getting rough with her own boyfriend and she'd ended up getting whiskey-drunk with her brother. As usual, Klaus had been trying to reassure her that she wasn’t going to die alone and had blurted out the whole story. Vanya had been sworn to secrecy. 

“It’s okay not to be in a relationship,” Dave took a sip of his coffee.

Despite a rough start to their friendship, Vanya liked Dave quite a lot. He was very level-headed, friendly, and truly cared about her brother, which made him much better than the guys he used to date. They’d bonded over their mutual interest in music, even if hers was slightly more classical, and swapping their Klaus stories while her brother protested. He'd even learnt a little violin from her, though he stuck to guitar for the most part. Now, Dave was smiling kindly at her over the top of his mug.

“I was just…” Vanya trailed off, feeling a bit childish, “I was so excited to finally be with someone. Be happy. Like you guys.”

Dave considered this, humming, “Are you sure Leonard made you happy?”

No. No, actually, she knew for a fact that he had made her quite unhappy. But it felt like Vanya had spent her entire life playing catch-up with her siblings and relationships was just another area was falling behind. It seemed like every man who showed interest in her seemed to be some kind of creep, weirdo, or manipulator. It wasn't lost on Vanya, or her therapist, that she kept dating men exactly like her own abusive father. Leonard hadn’t exactly bucked the trend. 

It was so unfair, though. Klaus and Dave had been together for years, living a cosy domestic life of brunches and baking, and she hadn’t even managed to hold down a boyfriend for more than a few months. It didn’t end with Klaus either. Diego had already secured yet another relationship, (his seemed to come and go steadily, an endless line of men and women), and had quit his job to move to England with her. Allison was getting remarried to a new man, who was completely head over heels for her. Even Five had mentioned a girl he liked, his voice crisp with embarrassment, during one of his rare phone calls home: they were in the same AP Math class.

“Oh!” Klaus cried suddenly, his cup of coffee coming dangerously close to spilling, “Vanny, I’ve just had the best idea! It’s crazy… But I mean,” He glanced at Dave, “If she wanted to…”

Already, Dave was shaking his head, “It’s a bad idea. Honesty is the best policy.”

But there was a fond look on his face as he said so, as if he was interested to see how his boyfriend’s idea played out. Vanya felt frustrated to be left out of the loop again.

“What, do you guys have telepathy now or something?” She asked, looking between the pair of them, “Klaus, what are you talking about?”

Her brother was practically bouncing in his seat with excitement, barely able to keep still. It reminded her of when they were little kids and Klaus would sneak candy into the house, completely wired on sugar. He would bound around the house, full of energy, and end up crashing on the living room rug. Later, it had been alcohol and drugs, sure, but it had been cute when he was hooked more innocently on Jolly Ranchers and Reese’s Pieces. Vanya remembered how he used to gather all their siblings into a room, shushing them insistently, and turn out his pockets to reveal they were stuffed with contraband candy. 

There was the same mischievous glint in his eye now, “I mean, dearest sister, that you could always fake it till you make it. Pull a Dave Katz of your own.”

To his left, Dave looked equal parts amused and disapproving. While it was true that they all enjoyed watching or hearing about Klaus' ridiculous schemes, they also knew from experience that they very rarely worked out in the long run. It was a miracle that the whole "fake dating" plan had succeeded the first time around and it probably wouldn't work a second time around. Especially for someone like Vanya. Not to mention, it would probably be a lot of work lying to and running rings around her entire family at the wedding. Just because she was too embarrassed to admit that her last boyfriend had dumped her abruptly with no warning.

(Although, in hindsight, there had been more than a few red flags from Leonard Peabody.)

But then, Vanya remembered the last time that she had been to a Hargreeves family function. A few months ago now and it hadn’t been all of them, since Allison had skipped out to spend time with her new fiancé, but Vanya had felt so out of place. Everybody was talking about their love lives, friendships, jobs, successes, and hobbies. They all seemed to be growing up, finally moving forward with their lives, and becoming real adults. Meanwhile, Vanya had stagnated:

Her relationships had flopped. She was still second chair. Teaching was becoming tiresome.

Vanya made up her mind and straightened her back, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

Klaus clapped his hands enthusiastically, as if she had just announced that she had won a Grammy rather than that she would go ahead with his crazy plan. Then, he leaned back in his seat and shot his boyfriend an adoring look, obviously thinking of their own meet-cute. In many ways, Klaus was a big romantic and had always been a big fan of silly romcom plot-lines. He was lucky to get one of his own. A similar soppy look was on Dave's face as he smiled lazily back at him, taking a long sip of his coffee. 

“Oh,” Vanya’s shoulders slumped, “But I don’t know anyone who’d be willing to do it.”

For a moment, the trio considered this. While Klaus drew up the contacts list in his phone, scrolling through it and muttering to himself, Vanya couldn’t even pretend that she had friends to consider. Only her siblings, a few takeout places, and her exes were saved into her contacts. She wasn’t great at getting along with people, much to her more outgoing siblings’ frustration. Every now and again, they would have a discussion (argument) about her social life (or lack thereof).

A sibling, usually Klaus or Allison, would suggest that she made some more friends. Vanya would stress that she already _had_ friends and anyway, even if she was a little bit lonely sometimes, she didn’t need pity from her siblings. Her brother/sister would demand to know the last time she’d hung out with someone outside of their immediate family- Vanya would reluctantly admit she’d had coffee with Helen from orchestra just before Christmas.

 _“But it’s August!”_ Said sibling would cry in response, _”That was months ago!”_

Vanya would promise to get more out there, go back to hiding out in her apartment, and the cycle would continue. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend time with other people or that she didn't want to make new friends. Instead, it was just that she found it incredibly difficult to do so. Unlike violin, when it came to talking to people, there was no sheet of music to follow. She just ended up completely lost, faltering and uncertain. Like playing a bum screechy note by mistake. 

Snapping his fingers, Dave spoke up at last, “I just thought of the perfect person!”

“Is it your friend Teddy? I’d like to see him next time he’s in town,” Klaus mused, “He might be the only person in the world who likes me as much as you do. Maybe more.”

“No, no, this is a friend from back home,” He swatted Klaus on the arm playfully before continuing, “We grew up together. She’s the sweetest girl I’ve ever met, present company excluded, of course. She just moved to the city. I could give her a call.”

 _She?_ thought Vanya, uncertainly. Even though she’d known from a young age that she was interested in women, Vanya had never done anything to act on those impulses. Like most things in her life, she'd elected to push them down deep inside instead and tried to pay little attention to them. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed or ashamed to be attracted to women but more that she was scared. It was one thing to have crushes on celebrities, whose posters she pinned up on her teenage bedroom wall, or to shyly admire another pretty woman from across the street. But the idea of actually dating a woman scared her.

Hell, the idea of dating _men_ scared her but at least it was easy.

Only a few people knew that she was… You know. Of course, Klaus had worked it out when they were teenagers. They had harboured mutual crushes on Winona Ryder, which resulted in them watching her entire filmography back-to-back one weekend. It was easy to be herself around someone like Klaus anyway, so she probably would've ended up telling him even if he hadn't guessed. And Klaus knowing about her meant that Dave knew, obviously. The two of them had no secrets. 

While she’d never mentioned it to Allison, Vanya thought her sister had probably guessed too.

“Don’t worry, Vanya,” Dave assured her, leaning over to pat her on the knee in a big brotherly sort of gesture, “I would never set you up with somebody if I didn’t think you’d like them. And I’ve known Sissy since we were babies- she’ll adore you.”

“It’s just for the weekend, anyway,” Klaus reminded her, “What could go wrong?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Do you mind if we go over it again, hon? I want to make sure I’ve got it down perfect.”

The blonde haired woman spoke softly, placing one hand on Vanya’s knee in a reassuring gesture as she smiled at her. Even though the touch was casual, it sent a crackle of electricity through Vanya’s entire body and she had to stop herself from shivering in delight. It had been a long time since anyone had touched her like that- not wanting anything from her in return.

Sissy Cooper was an absolutely beautiful woman with gentle blue eyes and soft blonde curls falling around her face. She was dressed in an elegant floral shirt, tucked neatly into her pants, and had subtle make-up to accentuate her pretty features. There was a slight nervousness about her, obviously concerned about pulling off their facade, but it was barely obvious under her calm expression. She was much more relaxed than Vanya, who was starting to shake with nerves.

“Right, uh, no problem,” Vanya opened the photo gallery on her phone and leaned in close, so that the other woman could look over her shoulder, “I know it’s a lot. I’m sorry.”

She winced, feeling guilty. It wasn’t really fair of her to drag someone like Sissy into her family mess, especially since they’d only met for the first time at the airport. They'd walked past each other a few times before they'd even realised they were looking for each other. Still, Vanya couldn’t help being grateful that someone was with her- _was that selfish?_ \- as she breathed in the comforting scent of Sissy’s shampoo. The other woman smelled like fresh strawberries, sweet yet familiar.

“You don’t have to apologise,” Sissy turned her head to smile at her, “I’m happy to be here.”

It sent another jolt of energy through Vanya’s veins, making her heart buzz frantically in her chest. A smile came easily to her face and then she returned her focus to her cell phone, so that her heart didn’t explode messily all over the backseat of the taxi. Right. She had to focus. This was all just make-believe for the weekend: there was no reason to read any more into this. She flicked with her thumb through photos of her siblings.

“That’s Luther, my oldest brother. He’s a bit awkward but usually okay. Diego: he-“

“Used to be a cop but quit to be with his girlfriend,” Sissy filled in, a pleased smile on her face, “His girlfriend’s called…” She screwed up her face in the cutest way, “Lava?”

A laugh escaped Vanya, surprising her, “No, Lila. She’s a bit- well, you’ll see. My sister, Allison, it’s her wedding. Her second one actually but don’t bring that up or she’ll get pissed. Believe me,” She’d learned that the hard way, “Klaus is… he's just Klaus.”

“Dave’s beau. I’m mighty excited to meet him, I must say,” Sissy had a twinkle in her eye.

On the plane, Sissy had filled in some blanks for her regarding her own past. She’d grown up down south in Dallas, Texas with some loving but traditional parents and a big sister that she’d always looked up to. No complicated family relationships there. Her and Dave had been friends since elementary school, playing hopscotch during recess and trading snacks during lunch. A perfect gentleman, he’d taken her to proms, balls, and dances for years. Their parents thought they'd get married. 

While Sissy had moved up north for university, her plans ended up being halted when she found out she was pregnant and decided to move home again. Until recently, she'd focused most of her attention on being a single mom to her son, Harlan, who Sissy was absolutely devoted to. When she’d talked about him, showing Vanya picture after picture, there was the same loving look in her eye as when Allison talked about her daughter, Claire. It was a shame Harlan was at home with his nanny.

Her thumb hovering over her phone, Vanya finished, “Five. He’s the baby of the family but he’s smarter than the rest of us put together. He inherited all the brains.”

“I think you’re plenty smart,” Sissy told her, “I wouldn’t even know which way to hold a violin.”

Apparently, Dave had shown her a few videos online from Vanya's various concerts- including some dating back to when she was a kid- and Sissy had been really impressed. It had been the first thing she'd wanted to hear about when they'd met up. During the flight, she'd tenderly traced the calluses on Vanya's fingertips and it had made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. But Sissy was probably just being nice. 

Blushing, Vanya shrugged and mumbled, “Anyone can learn an instrument.”

The other woman looked as if she wanted to disagree but didn’t get a chance to as the taxi began to slow to a halt. Peering out of the window, Vanya saw that they had arrived at Hotel Oblivion, where the reception was going to take place. It was the swanky expensive sort of place that Allison always chose for events but there was something more personal about choosing this particular venue: this was one of the hotels that their father had owned.

Before Dave had set up the date, ( _was date the right word? It seemed too personal, too romantic, asking too much_ ), he had assured Vanya that Sissy didn’t know anything about the Hargreeves. At least, she hadn’t read Vanya's book. The idea of spending an entire weekend with somebody who had peered into the darkest corners of her life was uncomfortable, so Vanya had been pleased to hear it. But as she stepped out of the car, she felt more than a little self-conscious about her family’s obvious wealth.

She hoped none of her siblings let it slip that this hotel was technically their property now. Or that it was their father's portrait hanging in the lobby. 

“What a charming place for a reception,” Sissy said soothingly.

A concierge, who was already lifting their luggage from the trunk, nodded to them, “One of the finest hotels in the country, ma’am.”

Vanya’s stomach flip-flopped unpleasantly. She looked around for a way out of this conversation and was blissfully saved when she spotted a familiar figure descending the steps of the building. Allison, stunning as ever, was dressed in a sunny yellow dress and had her curls tied back loosely to stop them falling in her face. She’d gone through a period of hating her hair as a teenager, trying her best to flatten her curls into submission, and Vanya was glad that phase was over. Her sister looked so prettier when she wasn’t pretending to be someone else. 

Obviously, Allison had spotted her arrival from one of the windows and swept her up into a hug immediately. They’d grown closer over the last three years, even if they hadn’t seen too much of each other, and Vanya realised that she’d missed her sister a great deal. She squeezed her sister tightly, pressing her face into Allison’s shoulder, and thought how much better this was than the uncertain, awkward hugs they used to have. Finally, Allison pulled back.

“Vanya, I missed you!” She cried, as warm as ever.

“I’m glad someone did,” Vanya said, offering her a small smile, “Oh, uh, Sissy. This is my big sister, Allison. Allison… This is Sissy. My, uh, girlfriend.”

It seemed obvious to her that she was lying through her teeth. She'd never exactly been a good liar to begin with, which was one of the reasons her siblings had never let them in on their schemes- all of them knew that she would crumble under her father's gaze and blurt out whatever they were up to through her tears. Vanya half-expected her sister to call her bluff immediately. After all, Allison might not be that involved in her life but surely suspected that a girlfriend would’ve been newsworthy enough for a phone call. Dread grabbed hold of Vanya as she began to worry her plan would fall apart.

There was a beat, while Allison looked a little bit shocked, and then, to her credit, Sissy stepped forward. Politely, she shook the other woman’s hand and smiled at her.

“It’s so nice to _finally_ meet you, Allison,” She made sure to stress the word, “Vanya’s told me so much about you. Only good things, of course.”

If she was starstruck by meeting a celebrity, it didn’t show on Sissy’s face. After all, even if she didn't know anything about the Hargreeves, she'd no doubt seen Allison in some movie or another- she was one of the hottest stars of the moment right now. But Sissy was as casual as ever, all kind smiles and charming words, and it was kind of impressive. Never before had Vanya met a boyfriend’s family or even parents- as it had turned out, Leonard’s entire family was dead- but if the roles were reversed, Vanya would’ve been a puddle of nerves on the floor. 

“I’m afraid I can’t say the same. Vanya’s never been one to kiss and tell,” Allison joked easily.

Vanya could feel her face growing warm. When Sissy reached over and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, it felt like her entire body was going to catch on fire.

Thankfully, her sister was too distracted by her rapidly approaching wedding to interrogate them any further. Instead, she invited them to come inside. Vanya was more than grateful to duck out of the hot, dry sun, as sweat was already beginning to form on the back of her neck, and into the cool lobby of the hotel. As soon as they were through the revolving doors, she paused to pull her hair back into a ponytail and caught Sissy glancing quickly away from her. _As if she'd been staring_. Checking in was easy enough and the concierge was insistent on bringing their luggage up to their room, giving Vanya the chance to meet her sister’s newest catch: Raymond Chestnut.

“Please, you can call me Ray. We’re family,” The pleasant man told her.

Memories of her sister’s last messy divorce, which had been splashed across the tabloids, hung unspoken in the air. But Vanya just smiled politely, shook his hand, and prayed that there wouldn’t be a big scene at this wedding. She wasn’t sure how much Hargreeves family drama she could deal with in just one weekend. Speaking of which, her and Sissy were among the first "family of the bride" to arrive, which meant no more awkward introductions for now.

Diego was here too but had already retired to his hotel room to ‘sleep off’, (Allison quirked an eyebrow suggestively when she said this), the jet lag with his girlfriend. Luther was due to arrive sometime that evening. As she already knew, Klaus and Dave were joining them just in time for dinner, since they were picking up Five from his boarding school before flying out. No doubt dinner would be a bizarre affair with all of them in one room again. Just thinking about it made Vanya feel anxious. 

For now, though, that left just the four of them to make small talk.

“Come on, let’s get drinks,” Allison beamed, “You have to tell me how the two of you met!”

Vanya and Sissy exchanged a meaningful look. _Oh, shit._


	3. Chapter 3

Family dinner was enough to make Vanya chew her nails nervously, a habit she’d kicked in childhood. Being around her siblings always brought out her younger, anxious self for reasons that she couldn’t explain. Her therapist had explained that some regression was normal and was just a kind of defence mechanism that kicked in, her brain trying to protect her from harm. It was a result of trauma. Still, it made her feel small as she sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Sissy to finish up in the bathroom.

“I think we fooled your big sister pretty good,” Sissy said lightly, stepping out with a make-up brush still in her hand, “Was it true what you said, about your ex?”

Vanya had shared a half-truth about how they met over drinks: an old friend of Dave’s had moved back into town, so he’d introduced them and they’d both fallen head over heels in the way that people often did. Thankfully, her sister hadn’t asked any questions about her sexuality- though, Vanya suspected she might see money exchange hands between her siblings over dinner- but had prompted her to talk about Leonard. It had nearly brought Vanya to tears.

_"Oh, uh, Leonard broke up with me. I let him down, at least that's what he told me."_

She nodded wordlessly, feeling a lump in her throat again, and threaded her fingers together in her lap. She knew that if she tried to talk, she'd most likely end up crying. The wound was still raw. Even if Leonard hadn’t been the best boyfriend in the world, ( _Vanny, you sure know how to pick ‘em_ , Klaus had said in exasperation), Vanya had been stupid enough to think what they had was real. She’d given him everything and gotten nothing in return except a broken heart. 

“Hey, Vanya,” Sissy lowered herself onto the bed next to her, “Any man who would leave you is a fool. You might just be the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

It made her blush and Vanya ducked behind her hair to hide, yet another bad habit from when she was a little girl. She’d been so shy back then, she’d always been trying her best to hide from everyone (especially her older siblings). Most of them had teased her about it. Being the baby of the family, at least for a while, hadn’t spared her from being picked on by her brothers and sisters. But Sissy didn't so much as bat an eye. 

“I don’t know. Meeting Luther and Diego might be enough to scare you off,” Vanya managed a chuckle. 

Sissy smiled easily, “Well, we’ll just see about that, won’t we? Hold still.”

She lifted the make-up brush and before Vanya could say _“oh, no, I don’t really wear make-up” _,__ she was closing her eyes under Sissy’s instructions. Her heart pounded in her chest, years of misplaced trust warning her not to make herself vulnerable again. The brush dusted lightly over her cheeks, tickling her face and making her want to sneeze. She did sneeze, minutely, and it made Sissy giggle. Vanya grinned and enjoyed the gentle feeling of Sissy’s fingers stroking her face before she pulled away. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the woman was lingering, still looking at her. The air around them was charged with energy. 

Clearing her throat, Sissy said quickly, “We should probably get going.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” Vanya shot to her feet, putting some space between them.

She couldn’t forget that this was all just politeness, that Sissy was only here as a favour to an old friend. It was nothing more than that and to think so would just end up hurting them both- she wasn't sure her heart would be able to take any more damage. So, Vanya turned away and hastily redid her ponytail in the mirror, keeping her eyes away from the other woman. Sissy busied herself putting her make-up away. They left the hotel room together, heading towards the elevator.

Just as the elevator doors were closing however, somebody caught them at the last minute and stopped them. Quickly, Vanya jabbed the ‘open’ button and the doors slid open again, revealing her older brother; part of her wondered if she should’ve just let the doors close, to spare herself the awkwardness. Uncomfortably, she shuffled closer to Sissy so that there was room for Diego and his girlfriend. 

“Hey,” Diego seemed just as surprised to see her, “I didn’t know you’d gotten in already.”

Vanya nodded, “Yeah, a few hours ago.”

“Oi, Diego!” His girlfriend elbowed him playfully, “Are you gonna introduce me or what? Honestly, boys have no manners.”

The last part was directed at Vanya, who grinned shyly back at her. Although Diego’s girlfriend seemed a little blunt and looked a little wild, (her hair looked like it hadn’t seen a brush in weeks), she also seemed pretty friendly. She didn’t seem to care what impression she made on the family and honestly, Vanya was a little jealous. She wished she could be so nonchalant. Even after a few drinks, Vanya still couldn't seem to 'loosen up' like her siblings encouraged her to. 

“Fine,” Diego rolled his eyes, “Vanya, this is my girlfriend, Lila. Lila, this is my kid sister.”

“I’m not that much younger than you,” Vanya said defensively.

Finally, the elevator doors closed and they began their descent towards the lobby. Sissy was introduced as her girlfriend, which made Diego’s eyebrows shoot up so high that they disappeared into his hair. It looked like his eyes might pop out on stalks like a cartoon, which made Vanya want to giggle and she exchanged another look with Sissy. The other woman gave her a mischievous look, reaching over to tuck a strand of Vanya’s hair behind her ear.

The tenderness of the gesture made Vanya blush again, her cheeks turning pink. She hoped that nobody noticed in the fluorescent light of the elevator, though she saw Lila smirk at her. They made small talk in the elevator- about flights, work, and what Diego had been getting up to in London- and Vanya felt suddenly out of her depth. It wasn't just her claustrophobia making her feel sick to her stomach either but the whole concept of a weekend with her family. Her social skills had never been the best and now, at this wedding, there was nothing to do except talk to her siblings. 

It made her want to run away all over again. Maybe she could duck out of dinner?

But there was no time to make excuses as they reached the ground floor and got out of the elevator, crossing the lobby towards the hotel restaurant. Vanya let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding, grateful to escape the small space, and looked around. It was a pleasant atmosphere, tables covered in white cloths and soft mellow candles lighting up the room. There was a long table, which was obviously for them, and a few of their siblings were already hovering by it.

Vanya found herself reaching for Sissy’s hand, struck with fear. She could hear her blood pounding in her ears. 

“Don’t worry. I’m here,” The woman whispered in her ear, “Just take it one step at a time.”

Knees weak, wobbling a little, Vanya did as she said and forced herself towards the table. From here, she could easily make out Luther’s bulking form as he leant over to talk to Allison- probably awkwardly giving her his best wishes. She looked pretty as ever, her smile wider than Vanya had ever seen it, and one hand was wrapped firmly around her fiancé's. Already seated at the table, Klaus was lounging in his chair as if it was a chaise lounge and murmuring something in Dave’s ear. The other man playfully gave him a push and Klaus laughed, the sound ringing across the room. Vanya already felt out of place. 

There was no sign of Five, which wasn’t too surprising. He was always promptly on time, not a minute earlier or later, and probably wouldn't make an appearance until the last possible minute. But their mom was there, looking a little lost as she stood by the table, and Diego went over to give her a tight hug. Grace seemed happy to see him, cupping his face in her hands and beaming at him.

“- get handsomer every time I see you, Diego!” She pinched his cheeks.

“Mom!” Diego groaned, even though he obviously loved it.

They all knew that he was Grace’s favourite, she’d had a sweet spot for him ever since they were children, though none of them had ever been able to work out why. Luther had been their father’s favourite, while he was still alive, and Allison had been the runner-up, earning the silver medal. Five, bright and quick, had been their tutor’s favourite despite being the latest addition to the family. And Vanya always got the impression that nobody cared much about whether she was there or not.

“Vanny!” Klaus waved her over eagerly, patting the chair on his other side.

… Okay, maybe somebody did care about her, just a little bit. Her brother pulled out the chair for her with a flourish, unusually formal but as dramatic as ever, and leaned over to kiss her on the top of her head. He was already rambling about something or other that happened with Five on the plane over. Dave stood up to pull Sissy into a hug, pleased to see her again, and they started catching up with each other. Maybe this whole thing wouldn’t be so bad.

“Hey Vanya,” Luther ambled over to squeeze her shoulder, “How’s things with Leonard?”

She tensed up automatically, even if there was no way he could've possibly known about their break up. It wasn't exactly that she'd decided to keep it a secret: at first, it had been much too painful to talk about with anyone and later, Vanya didn't see any point in bothering her siblings with it. They were all caught up in their busy, exciting lives and she didn't want to interrupt them. Closing her mouth, Vanya fixed her eyes on the table cloth and pretend she hadn't heard the question. 

“Oh, haven’t you heard?” Klaus drawled, “Our darling Vanya recently discovered the power of the pussy. Meow!”

It was hard to tell who was more embarrassed: Vanya or Luther.

His entire face turned red and his hand tightened its grip on her shoulder, making her wince in pain. Luther started stammering worse than Diego, not able to get his words out, and quickly invented an excuse to go sit as far away as possible from her. It wasn't that Luther was homophobic or anything- after all, it was impossible to be when they'd all grown up with Klaus- but more embarrassed by any kind of sexual jokes. In short, he was a bit of a prude. Interested, Sissy and Dave broke off their conversation to ask what had happened. Vanya wished the ground would just open up and swallow her already. 

They were interrupted, thank god, by the double doors swinging open violently and a small figure striding into the room. A boy dressed in his boarding school uniform, right down to the knee socks, made his way over to them and stopped at the head of the table. Even though Sissy had been warned about the drastic age gap between Five and the rest of the siblings, she still seemed surprised and Vanya shrugged at her. It was pretty weird to them too- they'd all been teenagers when their brother was born- but they'd had years to adjust to it. Five smiled tightly at them all, his expression as hard to read as ever, and leaned on the back of his chair.

“Let’s get this over with, shall we?” Five announced, “I haven’t got all day.”

Clearly, Vanya wasn’t the only one feeling nervous.


End file.
